The Scottish Government paid a public relations firm almost £13,400 every day for over a month to plug the controversial low emissions zones (LEZ), including the newly-launched zone in Aberdeen.

Officials handed £508,886 to Manchester-based Republic of Medie for 38 days of work to raise awareness of the zones in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, despite having an army of government staff to call on.

According to the Daily Mail, the contract, worth £13,391 every day, was awarded by quango Transport Scotland. Ministers have already dished out £1.5million of taxpayer money to PR firms to advertise the LEZs.

While the LEZ in Glasgow has now been in force for a year, Aberdeen and Edinburgh’s came into force on Saturday, June 1 while Dundee’s was on May 30, writes the Scottish Daily Express.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters